Count on WaterAid to remain as committed as ever

In these challenging and uncertain times, it’s important to share where WaterAid stands as an organization, what you can expect to see from us over the coming months, and how you can continue supporting our #1 priority: helping the world’s poorest, most marginalized communities transform their lives with clean water, toilets and basic hygiene.

The basics

WaterAid has always been, and continues to be, a non-partisan, non-governmental, non-profit organization. We are deeply committed to one of life’s most fundamental basics: doing whatever it takes to ensure that every person on the planet has access to clean water, safe toilets and basic hygiene by 2030.

We love our supporters

WaterAid is fortunate to have the enthusiastic support of Americans from all walks of life and political perspectives --citizens, congresspeople, donors, advocates, teachers, parents, policy-makers, students, religious leaders, business executives and many others--people who understand that no one should be denied his or her basic right to clean water and sanitation.

Today, we’re as committed as ever to equity and inclusion, public health and lasting, long-term solutions. We also have a proud tradition of standing up for causes we believe in when they have a direct impact on the communities we serve with water, sanitation and hygiene services. The Water for the World Act is a great example of this, as is the influencing work we do around the Global Goals. These are bipartisan efforts, led by Members of Congress from across the country and political spectrum, and we will continue to strengthen our important relationships with these champions for WASH.

It's more than just taps and toilets... advocacy matters

What you may not know is that WaterAid’s day-to-day work to influence policy change is as much a part of what we do as building pumps, pipelines and other critical pieces of basic infrastructure together with our local partners. That’s because advocating for long-term solutions to the water and sanitation crisis is key to making sure that everyone, in every corner of the globe, can count on these life basics. Without these advocacy efforts, even the best clean water and sanitation systems in the world will ultimately fail the people they were intended to serve.

This week, the US Government has introduced--and proposed--a number of Executive Orders and legislative actions that pose a serious threat to WaterAid’s vision of a world where everyone, everywhere has access to safe clean water, toilets and hygiene. As an organization that exists to lend voice and opportunity the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, we have grave concerns about three of these new proposals in particular:

We’re taking action

You can count on us to continue doing what we do best: deliver water, sanitation and hygiene services, strengthen community know-how and advocate for long-term policy success in 37 countries across the globe. This includes advocating against the Global Gag Rule, reductions in US funding and leadership to the United Nations, and environmental actions that have the potential to negatively impact access to clean, safe drinking water at home and abroad.

You can also count on us to continue our proactive advocacy in support of WASH, development and global health funding, efforts to improve US maternal, newborn and child health programs, and initiatives that focus on menstrual health and hygiene to help girls stay in school. We’ll be maintaining our non-partisan principles as we do so, confident that we are staying true to our promise to make sure that clean water, toilets and basic hygiene are accessible to everyone, no matter who they are, or where they may be.

Here's what you can do

We invite you to stay updated on our work via our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and hope that you’ll feel moved to take action, whether that means writing to your congressional representative or Senators, submitting a letter to the editor at your local paper, donating to our work or simply helping to spread the word.

Just like you, all of us here at WaterAid want the very best for our country: a country that is strong in its values, steeped in tradition, and long known as a leader in global development. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.